Medal of Honor: Lyoko Warrior
by Peace Keeper 2014
Summary: Ulrich Stern, in the military, has been away from his family for a long time. For his service, he's transfered to TIER 2, a special ops group. On the first mission together, they discover an old secret and fight a foe thought to be long gone and forgotten. With this new foe seeking revenge against the world, it's only a matter of time before they achieve their goals.
1. Prologue Part 1

Warning:

This novel has references, links, and inspiration from real life events in the Real War on Terror.

Some events may have been re-written and some names may have been re-written for security purposes.

Secret events have not been recorded for security purposes in this story.

Some events are fictional and non-real and the name 'Green Phoenix' is from the Code Lyoko universe.

This novel forms the Code Lyoko universe with the real events of the real world in the hotspots of the world. including Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and plots in the United States.

Some scenes may be too graphic or too real to certain readers.

Reader's discrestion is advised...

Also:

This story is to comemorate and remember those who have gave their lives for the freedom. These men and women are in the Coalition, formed with the United States, France, Britain, Germany, and other countries...

Prologue

2016- Modern Day Afghanistan- Mountains North of Kabul

TIER 1- AFO Neptune

Ulrich Stern

A lone Chinook helicopter silently roared through the dark skies of Afghanistan. The moon, above, was full and the stars above started to shine with it. The sound of the helicopter blades blocked out every other sound except for radio chatter and chatter between the two TIER 1 operatives and the gunner, who overlooked the scenery with his .50 Caliber machine gun. The inside of the chopper was filled with red light, meaning not clear for landing. Ulrich Stern overlooked the scenery along side the gunner, leaning over him with his M-16 A3 strapped over his right shoulder. His gear was as yellow as the desert sand that they used to fly over. His jacket was as grey as coal and his gloves were as yellow as the desert sand and his gear. His helmet was strapped tightly to his chin and his goggles were nestled tightly to the front of his helmet. His eyes were clear, not bloodshot, and his face was being pelted by the snow flakes that gained entrance into the chopper.

The white snow outside was as white as fluff and feathers. The rocks, however, were as dark as coal. The gunner's suit was as green as the trees below and he had bags under his eyes. It looked like he stayed up for hours straight, manning his gun without rest. On the left side of the gunner was Calvin Jones, or 'Sabot'. His face was covered with a face wrapping, but his gear looked the same as Ulrich's. Ulrich served with Sabot for almost a year and, somehow, ended up landing into TIER 1 after being transferred from TIER 2. But, that's another story. His gun, though, was different. He was armed with an M-4, the automatic version. His gun was as black as the rocks and night sky and was also strapped tightly to his right shoulder. His eyes, however, was bloodshot red. Sabot was a real leader. Ever since last year, he has been beside Ulrich and the rest of their squad the entire time. But, for tonight until the mission's end, they were alone without them. Just the two them were going to their mission.

The gunner turned to Sabot, his hands still tight on the triggers. The snow started to settle onto his gear, as well as the two TIER 1 operatives. He cleared his throat.

"You TIER guys are friggin' nuts." the gunner said. "Are you sure about this?" Sabot pulled down his face wrap, revealing the other half of his face. His five o'clock shadow was as black as the night sky and his lips were as smooth as ice.

"We're sure, alright." Sabot said. "After all, we're TIER 1."

"Well, I hope you guys are right." the gunner replied, uncertain. "After all, if you guys are caught, there's no way we're coming back when we hear it immediately."

"Well, at least you guys are comin'." Sabot replied. "Now, shut up and watch out." The helicopter met a slow, sudden halt, hovering over a solid landing area to drop off both Ulrich and Calvin. Calvin pulled his face cover back up and strapped his helmet.

"We are above the current LZ, over?" the pilot said over the radio. Sabot leaned in and talked over it.

"Copy that, Eagle." Sabot replied.

"Alright, you are cleared for jump, over?" the pilot replied. Sabot licked his lips.

"Copy that, Eagle." Sabot replied. "C'mon let's go, Ulrich." Sabot then leaped out of the helicopter, landing on his feet. Ulrich looked down to see Sabot covered in snow as he waved at Ulrich.

"C'mon, Ulrich, the snow is fine and cold." Sabot said, still waving.

"I'll be right…" Ulrich was then cut off by the door gunner, who yelled over Ulrich and pointed at a rocket.

"RPG!" the gunner said, the rocket slamming into the left side of the Chinook. The massive, orange explosion shook the chopper, making sway back and forth as the flames started to rage on the left side. The door gunner regained his grip on the gun and started to fire at the area where the RPG launched.

"Jump, God damn it!" Sabot yelled. Ulrich leaped out from the copter, feeling the cold air rush towards his face as he fell to the ground. He felt the cold snow plow into his as he started to lift himself from the ground. Then, from behind, he saw the helicopter start to lose control. The flames started to engulf the rear rotor blade. Smoke rose into the sky as the chopper crashed into the snow covered ground with a loud thud. Then, after it crashed into the ground, a loud explosion occurred, tossing the blades in all directions and sending shards of flaming metal scattering. Then, he saw a helicopter door coming his way, bouncing off the ground after each hit. It was heading towards Ulrich.

"Ulrich, watch out!" Sabot said, Ulrich turning towards him. Then, as he turned back, the helicopter door landed on top of Ulrich, knocking him unconscious.


	2. Chapter 1 Part 2

Chapter 1: Beginnings

1 Year Ago- 2015

Paris, France

Ulrich Stern

Ulrich fell asleep, leaning against the car window. His eyes were closed shut and had slight black coloring under his eyes. His uniform was well kept and wrinkle-free, matching desert camouflage used at the front. The patch on his left arm showed a huge black two inside of a shield patch. His hair had spiky, brown bangs, his eyes were as brown as his hair, and his face was hair free, unlike his friend's face, which had a five o'clock shadow. The grey car slowly moved down street after street in the Paris suburbs, passing by joggers, walkers, and other drivers on the road. The blue sky above exposed the golden yellow sun, shining brightly above the populated area. Trees swayed back and forth, birds flew overhead in formations, and clouds slowly made their way across the blue sky. Ulrich's camouflaged bag sat on his feet, tightly zipped and closed. His first name initial was shown in black with a period after it. Then, his last name also showed in black. His full last name.

Calvin Jones slowly drove the car down the street, heading to Ulrich's home. Calvin looked over to see Ulrich still passed out in the passenger seat, leaning against the clear car window. Calvin rolled his eyes and shook Ulrich as they waited at a stop sign with no cars behind them. Ulrich moaned slightly after Calvin shook him once. He did another time. He moaned even louder. Then, Calvin shook him a third time. This time, his eyes opened and he slowly sat himself up. He rubbed his eyes slowly and looked at Calvin.

"Huh, what?" Ulrich asked softly. Calvin smiled. He was also dressed in the same uniform as Ulrich. It was also well tailored and well taken care of. He had the same patch on his left arm and the same pattern. Both of them were friends.

"Dude, we're almost home." Calvin replied. "I know that the flight was long, but you have to stay awake just a little bit longer."

"I know I do." Ulrich replied. "But, the flight was so long."

"I know, right?" Calvin asked in reply, smiling. "Damn, you're lucky I spent thirty minutes on running errands for my wife."

"How so?" Ulrich asked in reply.

"Well, if I hadn't picked up those errands, you wouldn't have that much sleep, now would you?"

"Heh, good point." Ulrich said. Then, a car horn sounded behind their car, a white sedan waiting for them to cross the intersection.

"Wait for us to move, would ya?" Calvin shouted, poking his head out the window.

"Look, let's just go before we get late." Ulrich told Calvin. "After all, I don't want to keep the wife and kids waiting." Calvin sat back inside and nodded.

"Alright." Calvin replied. He lightly pressed his foot on the gas pedal and started to drive the car across the intersection. The green trees swayed softly with the wind as the car slowly passed by the trees. The concrete street was covered in dead and green leaves and brown, skinny sticks. Ulrich stared out the window as they passed by the houses and people and kids. Calvin then looked over to Ulrich.

"So, how's the kids?" Calvin asked. Ulrich turned to Calvin, smiling lightly.

"Well, you know, good." Ulrich replied. "Kelly and Yumi went to their soccer game last weekend." Calvin smiled.

"Really?" Calvin asked. "Who won?"

"Our team did." Ulrich replied. "Twenty to five."

"Man, they must be really good." Calvin admitted.

"You don't know the half of it." Ulrich replied.

"What about Michael?" Calvin asked, curiously.

"He's gotten good grades." Ulrich told Calvin. "He has A's and B's."

"Wow, first honors?"

"Yup." Ulrich replied. "First honors." Calvin smiled wider.

"That's amazing, dude." Calvin said.

"Yup, really amazing." Ulrich replied.

"You know, I bet they cannot wait to spend time with you because of our five months leave." Calvin said. Ulrich smiled as well."Yup, I bet you." Ulrich replied. The car then slowed down at the next intersection, where a yellow taxi cab sat in wait to the right. Calvin pointed to the right of them, pointing out Ulrich's street.

"There's our turn." Calvin said. "Get yourself ready, dude."

"Don't worry, I'm ready." Ulrich replied, smiling and taking light breaths. Ulrich was excited to see his wife back at home, waiting for him at the front. He cannot wait to see his kids again after half a year on deployment. After all that he has seen, this will take his mind off all of it. With Calvin at his side, he can enjoy his life more. The car started to slow down as they turned the corner, driving down the street. He readied himself to pick up his bag and to hug his children and wife as tight as he can. Calvin tapped on Ulrich's shoulder, getting his attention.

"Over there, dude." Calvin said, pointing out the window at a nice house. The house was a decent size with a neat and clean front lawn and plants beside the walkway towards the front door. There stood his wife, waving and weeping happy tears. She smiled and waved as Ulrich's kids waved behind her. They leaned to her left or right as they smiled and waved and jumped up and down as they saw their father pulling up to the drive way.

"Man, do they look happy to see you." Calvin said, smiling. Ulrich cleared his throat and grabbed the handle on his bag, opening the door and stepping out of the grey car. He closed the door behind him, then dropping his bag. His kids started to run towards him with open arms, laughing as they ran towards him.

"Daddy!" they said, hugging and jumping onto him. They tackled him onto the grass, where they continued to hug him tightly and started to kiss him.

"Hey kids!" Ulrich said. "How are ya guys doin', huh?"

"Good, daddy!" they all said at once.

"Good." Ulrich said, standing up with the kids still hugging him. The kids jumped and rolled off of him, allowing their father to help himself up. His wife walked up to him, dressed in a black turtleneck and black jeans. She wore black boots and had long, black hair. She hugged her husband tight as the kids rushed to Calvin, jumping around him.

"How was your deployment, sweetie?" she asked in a sweet voice.

"It was alright, you know." Ulrich replied. "So, how was everything?"

"Everything was great." she replied. "Michael's on honors, Kelly and Yumi's soccer game went well, and me and the other moms hung out for a little bit." Ulrich smiled.

"Anything else I should be aware about?" Ulrich asked.

"No, not…" She then leaned over to Ulrich's left and saw the huge black two on the patch. She never saw it before.

"Where did you get that patch, Ulrich?" she asked.

"Well, I got recommended for transfer to Tier 2." Ulrich replied.

"What's Tier 2?"

"Top secret stuff." Ulrich replied. "That's all I'm supposed to tell you." His wife smiled. Ulrich held her by the hips and his wife wrapped her arms around his neck. Both stared into each other's eyes, smiling as they slowly approached with their lips ready for a passionate kiss. Their lips touched softly on one another's. Both of them closed their eyes and felt the intense, calming sensation of each other's love. The kids hid behind Calvin, who was smiling.

"Ew!" they yelled out. Calvin laughed as they hid behind him.

"It's okay, guys." Calvin said. "This is just the first half." Ulrich broke the kiss and looked at Calvin, who was laughing.

"Calvin!" Ulrich said, smiling.

"What?" Calvin asked. "You know it's true."

"Forget you, Calvin." Ulrich said, looking back at his wife.

"So, what do you want to do, sweet heart?" she asked him, her arms still wrapped around his neck."I don't know, Yumi." Ulrich replied. "What do _you_ wanna do?"


	3. Chapter 2 Part 3

Chapter 2: A Night of Memories

2015

Paris, France

Ulrich Stern

In the evening of that night, Ulrich decided to stay up and relax while his wife, Yumi, slept to drop the kids off to the soccer game and to Michael's big Science Fair in the morning. Tomorrow was his day of rest from doing too much stuff on the field in Afghanistan. He did a lot of things he would of done when he was younger, like watch TV, play games on the computer, write a little bit, and also look back on his memories of Lyoko in his scrap book. He found himself in front of the bright, plasma screen that he and his wife bought. His scrapbook was wide open, showing all the pages of him and his friends when he was younger at Kadic Academy. The news was on the TV, talking about Afghanistan again. But, he was too distracted by the scrapbook he had put together, with the help of Yumi and the others before graduation. The soft, brown sofa gave lots of comfort to him as he remembered the good days before he became an adult. It was the life many others would only dream of. But, it was also a gamble. But, overall, it was a life many would be jealous of, all the action, danger, and importance. He looked at all of the pictures, page after page. He stared at one where they all hugged and were huddled in the middle of the three scanner tubes, smiling and laughing. Then, he saw one of him and Odd holding the peace sign at the bridge leading to the factory they always went to. He also saw one of Jeremy smiling and working on the Super Computer under the factory. He thought of those days, the days of glory, bravery, danger, and uncertainty. Then, Ulrich heard footsteps coming down the stairs and he knew who was awake. Yumi leaned over the couch, seeing Ulrich closing the scrapbook they made.

"Good days, huh?" she said, dressed in her pajamas. Her long black pajama pants and her plain white t-shirt were very loose fitting and made Ulrich very attracted to her. But, he was too tired to focus on her looks. She sat slowly next to Ulrich on the brown sofa, her right hand on Ulrich's left leg.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Tired?"

"Well, yeah." Ulrich replied. "Kinda."

"Well, if you want, you can come to bed later." Yumi suggested. "After all, I'm getting… a little lonely." Ulrich smiled and laughed.

"You know how to get 'em, don't you?" Ulrich joked lightly. Then, something on the news got Ulrich's attention. He looked up at the screen and saw a reporter at the base where Ulrich went on deployment to.

"Earlier this week, we have received news about the strike on a US National Guard unit defusing explosives near the base here near Kabul Afghanistan." the reporter said., her hair flying in the wind. "Earlier Sunday morning, Al-Qaeda and Taliban forces ambushed the convoy, killing two Guardsmen from the Colorado branch of the US National Guard. Back to you, Stacey Long." Ulrich's head hung low, then changing the channel to one of Clint Eastwood's movies, Dirty Harry.

"It's about what happened Sunday, isn't it?" Yumi asked. Ulrich silently nodded his head.

"Damn Taliban." Ulrich said. "We ended up searching through that wreckage, only to find those Guardsmen dead on the ground, filled with holes."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but this wasn't the first time it happened." Ulrich said in reply. "A Lieutenant Brostrom from the US Army was killed in 2008 of July by the _same_ God damn guys in Afghanistan." Yumi leaned closer to Ulrich."C'mon, Ulrich, don't be sad." Yumi said. "It happened before you even got there."

"I know." Ulrich said. "But, I wish that we could _do_ something." Ulrich then sighed. Yumi looked up at Ulrich and sat herself up, wrapping her arm behind his neck.

"I do too, sweetie." Yumi said in reply. "But, things just happen. You can't be there for everyone of those soldiers. Just, sometimes, you cannot be with them."

"But, I know who I can always be there for." Ulrich said.

"Who's that?" Yumi asked. Ulrich smiled.

"You." Ulrich said. Yumi then sat herself up, sitting right next to Ulrich.

"Well, come up stairs when you're ready." Yumi said, kissing Ulrich on the cheek and then heading up the stairs. Ulrich then opened the scrap book, then looking at the last page he looked at. He smiled and then he closed it, then kissing the cover that had a picture of all four of them. He placed it in the book shelf and turned off the lights and TV downstairs, then heading up to bed with Yumi.


	4. Chapter 3 Part 4

Chapter 3: Morning

2015

Paris, France

Ulrich Stern

Ulrich took his car out in the morning, then driving in the suburbs to meet up with Calvin at one of their favorite spots in town, 'La Colombe Céleste', or, The Heavenly Dove Café. It was a coffee shop and a diner, which was fine by him. They hung out there every time they went to get coffee or breakfast. It was a normal thing for them for each morning so that they can have a nice, warm cup of coffee and a nice breakfast.

Ulrich smoothly drove down the street, passing house after house. The trees lightly swayed back and forth, sending down small leaves onto the street. The sun peered over the white clouds above, the bright sunlight peering through Ulrich's car windows. This morning was beautiful. Birds above the ground flown in formation and started to hum beautiful melodies, the wind softly blew outside, cooling those outside. Ulrich had his aviator shades on, which made him look cool.

He then stopped at one of the stop signs at a four way intersection, the street clear of any cars. His cell phone then started to ring. He picked it up and answered the call. It was Calvin, sitting at the diner.

"Hey, what's up?" Ulrich asked,

"Hey, you almost here?" Calvin asked, then sipping a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, almost." Ulrich replied.

"Well, hurry." Calvin told Ulrich.

"Alright." Ulrich said. "See you later." He hung up the phone, then continuing the drive to the diner. What made it so special was that the road passes by Kadic Junior High, the school he remembered the most. He remembered the fights with Xana, the close encounters with death, the laughs. Everything he could remember clearly, he did and he kept it close to him. Those years defined him and his friends. He slowly drove pass the school, smiling as he passed by. He saw the beautiful architecture of the school and the light green trees. The trees swayed back and forth as he stared at the school and the forest that was behind it. Then, he focused back on the road, then continuing to drive to the diner. His mind was flooded with thoughts about his job and his family. If the leave he had was cancelled, how would he tell Yumi without her crying on his shoulder? He didn't want her to cry and he didn't want the kids to do the same.

After a few minutes of careful driving and thinking, he arrived at the diner, which was not too far from Kadic. The diner's windows were as clean recently washed glasses from the dish washer, without a small dot of dirt. Sunlight peered through the windows, the light illuminating the slightly dark diner, which had no lights on at all. There were only a few people inside, eating and drinking as they had a slow and calm morning with no rush.

Ulrich entered the diner, his feet stepping onto the clean, reflective tiles. The clean, white counter across from him stretched from one side, near the wall, to the other, then curving and stopping at the wall behind it. The menu hung up above the counter, the options and choices written in clear white with cursive writing. A delightful aroma loomed in the air, the smell of fresh coffee, which always got Ulrich. Plates of croissants and honey buns were in front of the customers, who were eating slowly, savoring the flavor of the delicious treats. Near the other side of the diner was Calvin, who was sipping on a warm cup of coffee with French Vanilla. His croissant was half eaten and his napkin was at the side, ready for him to place his cup on top of. Calvin then looked up at his friend, then smiled.

"Hey, Ulrich." Calvin said. "Come sit over here?"

"Coming." Ulrich replied, smiling back at his friend. He calmly walked over to his table and sat down on the chair across from him, then getting himself comfortable. One of the workers behind the counter approached Ulrich with a notepad. Her hair was long and thick. It was as dark brown as luscious dark chocolate and the exhilarating smell of her fruity shampoo struck Calvin. She smelled, as though, she dove into a fruit smoothie and bathed in it. Her skinny, fragile body gave Calvin that impression.

"Anything, sir?" the lady asked, her slight smile complimenting her young complexion.

"Yes, a cup of coffee." Ulrich told the woman. "French Vanilla."

"And, get him some pancakes, please." Calvin included, smiling as the lady jotted the order down on the notepad.

"Okay, your order will be ready soon." the woman concluded, then rushing over behind the counter and telling the guys in the kitchen to make his order.

"Well, I could use the food." Ulrich joked.

"Looks like you do." Calvin said, laughing. "So, did you sleep well last night?" he asked him.

"Yeah, I slept good." Ulrich replied.

"Maybe me, you, and your family should hang out sometime." Calvin said. Ulrich took a few minutes to think about the idea Calvin suggested. Ulrich hasn't spent time with his family in a while because of his job and he wanted to hang out with Calvin.

"Maybe you can." Ulrich finally said, slightly smiling and crossing his arms.

"Is that a yes or a no?" Calvin asked, curious.

"It depends." Ulrich replied. "What do you think it is?" Calvin then took a few seconds to think. His light bulb inside of his head then flickered and then turned on.

"I think it's a yes." Calvin said.

"You thought correctly." Ulrich told him, smiling. Calvin smiled and high fived Ulrich, excited about his friend's decision. The woman walked up to the table, with a plate of hot, steaming, fresh pancakes with the inclusion of bacon and eggs and even a sausage. In her other hand was a fresh, warm cup of coffee with French Vanilla and whip cream.

"Here you go, sir." the woman said, setting down Ulrich's order.

"Ah, thank you ma'am." Ulrich told her.

"Will that be it?" she asked him.

"Yes, ma'am." Ulrich replied.

"And, oh, you get a discount on your food because your military." the woman informed Ulrich. "Enjoy your meal." While she walked away from the table, Calvin leaned over and watched her leave, looking at her butt which swayed side to side with her hips. Calvin smiled and laughed to himself.

"Really Calvin?" Ulrich asked.

"What?" Calvin asked Ulrich in reply. "I can't look at a girl's ass?"

"C'mon, man." Ulrich said. "You know we're in a public diner."

"Yeah, and this is not violating any of the laws, now, is it?" Calvin pointed out.

"Dude, you're so weird." Ulrich told Calvin.

"What?" Calvin asked again. "I can't notice a beautiful lady?"

"If you think she's beautiful, then go up to her and tell her that." Ulrich advised.

"You're being ridiculous." Calvin replied with a wide smile on his face. "I can't do that because…"

"Because what?" Ulrich asked. There was a small silence after Ulrich asked that. Ulrich picked up the cup of coffee and sipped, then placing

"Because I'm…"

"Scared?" Ulrich interrupted.

"No, I'm not scared!" Calvin sharply replied, quickly drinking his coffee and staring at Ulrich.

"Then, why won't you talk to her and invite her over to spend time with us?" Ulrich suggested.

"Fine!" Calvin finally gave. "If you want me to so bad, I'll do it." Calvin quickly stood up and fixed his collar, then dusting his uniform off. He then stretched and shook it off.

"Stop stalling." Ulrich said, with Calvin nodding his head in denial.

"I'm not stalling." Calvin rebutted.

"This is a girl we're talking." Ulrich said. "Not a war."

"I know." Calvin agreed. "I'm just prepping."

"Prepping for what?" Ulrich asked his friend. "Ultimate defeat?"

"Alright, I'll go now." Calvin said, walking away from the table towards the waiter leaning on the counter. Calvin slowly approached her with a smile on his face and the waiter also smiled, her smile lighting up Calvin's heart. He slowly leaned on the counter and then looked up at the girl, who's nametag said "Jeannette". The woman fixed her long hair and looked at Calvin with her illuminating smile.

"Can I help you, sir?" the woman asked.

"Yes, you can." Calvin said calmly. "Can you tell me anything about God?" The woman's smile stuck on her face.

"Sure, what would you like to know?" Jeannette asked. Calvin leaned towards Jeannette with a large smile. He then cleared his throat.

"Is God gracious?" he whispered to her. "Because, I see your name means 'God is gracious'. And, I was wondering if he was and still is gracious." The woman laughed with her stunning smile and looked at Calvin through the eyes. Her mind-controlling hazel brown eyes caught Calvin's attention in a snap.

"Well, I can tell you that He is very gracious." the woman whispered in reply. "If you want to learn more, though, call me." She took the notepad and wrote her number down onto the paper and ripped it from the notepad. She then handed it to Calvin and then leaned over to kiss Calvin on the right cheek. Filled with excitement, and with a red kiss mark on his right cheek, he walked over to Ulrich and had a huge smile on his face, as though he had been kissed by an angel from Heaven.

"Ulrich, I'm a believer!" Calvin said, giving Ulrich a high five.

"Did you invite her over?" Ulrich asked.

"Well, I'm going to tonight." Calvin replied.

"Well, don't forget about it." Ulrich told his friend. "I think, after that kiss though, you may be too mesmerized to even remember what I said to you." Calvin stared at Jeannette and then looked back at Ulrich with a confused face.

"What did you say?" Calvin joked.

"Calvin?!" Ulrich said. "I'm serious."

"I won't forget." Calvin replied. "I promise. I swear I will and I won't let you down."


	5. Chapter 4 Part 5

Chapter 4: Picked Up Something

Undisclosed Location- Afghanistan

28 Hours Recent- 2015

A secret US and Coalition intelligence base sat in the middle of the Afghan desert. The sun peeked over the distant mountains, shining over the barren sea of sand and rock. The orange sky above was clear of clouds and birds and the wind softly blew and whistled. The Coalition base was surrounded with barbed wire and chain-linked fences and sandbags on each side, accompanied by watch towers and guard posts. There were three entrances into the base, all heavily guarded by guards and guard dogs and a Humvee. An American flag flew in the air above the base, as the other flags, from other nations, flew beside it. France, Germany, Great Britain, and other European countries were at the base.

Three empty helicopters sat at their landing pads, awaiting their pilots to board them and fly into the orange sky into the bright sun. Hangar buildings sat across from them and across the runway. Their large, steel doors were sealed shut. The main building, which was in the center, was surrounded by more guards and an encircling wall of sandbags and concrete. A sign hung by the entrance, which read 'HQ'.

Inside HQ, there were separate rooms, filled with the latest intelligence technology and computers. Operators watched the screens as they waited for any weird activity in their intelligence gathering from their enemy. The Main Room had larger screens than the other rooms and had more working personnel than any other room in the building. Operators and technicians scanned their assigned intelligence pieces and looked through reports, satellite photos, images, written documents, and any other source of intelligence.

Commander Richard Foxx oversaw the base and the intelligence personnel within it. He stood in front of his own personal screen in the Main Room, which oversaw the other personnel working and scanning. His face was smooth and he had the face of a young man in his early twenties. He was in his twenties, his late twenties. His eyes were as dark green as grass and his black crew-cut haircut was nicely done. His arms were toned and muscle-built, hairy as well. His desert uniform was nicely tailored, washed, and dried, with no sign of dust, dirt, or wrinkles in sight. A pair of aviator shades hung from his left pocket of the BDU shirt, below his name. Richard was intelligent, brilliant, nice, calm, and otherwise, very organized. No wonder he was assigned to be in charge of this secret Intelligence base in the middle of the Afghani desert.

While Richard looked through the documents he recently opened on his computer, he decided to check his e-mail at the same time. He logged onto his Yahoo account and scanned through his never-ending list of e-mails. At the very top was a new message, which was titled 'Hi daddy!'. Richard opened the e-mail as he smiled, then reading the message contained within. It read:

"Hey daddy, it's me, Alisa! Guess what? I have an A in Math! See, I told you that I would do well in school! I'm so smart! I really miss you daddy and I hope you beat up the bad guys real good over there. Mommy misses you too and she really wants to hug you tight. But, e-mail me later daddy when you have time. I really want to see you. Love, Alisa."

Richard smiled after he read the e-mail. His heart warmed up right after he finished, his smile becoming larger. As he was about to reply to his daughter's e-mail, an intelligence officer approached him with a printed out report of some unknown activity in the area near Kabul.

"Sir?" the officer asked after he approached Richard. Richard then hid his e-mail in the taskbar at the bottom of the screen and then turned to the officer.

"Uh, what is it?" Richard asked the officer. The officer then handed him the document.

"You might want to take a look at this, sir." The officer answered. Richard quickly read through the document and then looked back up at the intelligence officer, who stood for his response.

"Show me." Richard said, following the officer to his screen, which showed the recent sighting of the weird activity. The officer sat in front of the screen, then showing his CO the evidence. It showed an overhead sighting of a convoy of covered trucks and technicals during the night. They were driving on a rock, surrounded dirt road toward an encampment located in one of the sectors near Kabul.

"What's this?" Richard asked.

"It's a convoy, sir." The officer answered, staring at the screen. The camera then zoomed out and looked at the large fort-like camp.

"Alright, is that a fort?" Richard asked the officer.

"Yes, sir." The officer replied. "It's located north of Kabul along one of the main roads that terrorist use."

"Do you know who the trucks belong to?" Richard asked, curiously.

"Negative, sir." The officer said in reply. "The Taliban nor the Al-Qaida have said anything about a large convoy of trucks." There was a brief moment of silence that seemed to last forever. Richard then broke that silence.

"Alright, I want an up-to-date report on this and I want some new satellite images of the installation immediately." Richard ordered.

"Yes, sir." The officer said as Richard walked away from officer and his computer. Richard then went back to his computer and looked at the e-mail. He then smiled once more and decided to reply to his daughter right away, opening his reply message. He smiled as he typed and typed until he finished. He then attached a photo of himself onto the e-mail, a picture of him smiling with two pilots of a Blackhawk chopper, all three of them wearing the iconic aviator shades. He then sent the e-mail, smiling as his heart was filled with glee. However, that glee slightly faded as he looked at the document he opened. He then logged out of his e-mail and then read through the document.

Richard placed the printed document next to his keyboard and then closed the document on the computer and patiently waited for new intel. He then began to think about how to handle the new situation. He then took a piece of paper from his desk and a pen and decided to write out his ideas for a strategy on how to approach the situation, as he always does. He has been doing that since high school.

He first wrote 'Intelligence gathering'. But, as he began to think deeper, he started to think along the lines of 'Drone Strikes' and 'Bombings'. Then, after much brain storming and careful thinking, he had come to one conclusion that he may regret in the future, but was the only agreeable option. That option was 'Raid and Infiltration'.


	6. Chapter 5 Part 6

Chapter 5: Michael

Paris, France

2015

Ulrich Stern

After breakfast with one of his best friends, Ulrich drove back home to change out of his clothes into his usual clothing. He used to where green cargos with a green short sleeve and shirt. But, he then started to wear a plain light grey t-shirt with black jeans and white sneakers. Changing into his regulars was a better idea then walking out in public in his uniform, which could mean certain death if not too careful. Times changed for the worse and for the better. And, it seems that the worst is yet to come, despite his last successful deployment overseas into Afghanistan.

After quickly changing and brushing his teeth, he jumped back into the car and drove off to get to the school his son and daughters attended to get to Michael's Science Fair. His eyes were glued onto the road, with his mind clear of racing thoughts. He was calm, happy, and trouble free. It was, as though, his entire world of worries completely disappeared and was quickly replaced with the world he wished was real. He even remembered about Calvin's joke about having a wife. Ulrich remembered that Calvin was single and tried to find an excuse to kill the time when he arrived home. He then laughed to himself, still driving.

After minutes of care free driving, he arrived at the parking lot at the elementary school. It somewhat resembled Kadic, but it was its own school. The school was a single floored school with a few buildings, like a gym, a library, and a cafeteria. Trees were along the sidewalks in front of the school, the cool wind softly blowing leaves off the branches. The crisp, green grass in front was well kept and short and had signs of fresh dew from the early morning. The sun was beaming down bright, warm sunlight as white, puffy clouds slowly flew across the sky. Birds chirped and whistled as they flew overhead.

He left the car and closed the car door, then locking it and walking into the main school building, where he saw a young woman sitting in front of computer on her desk, typing away as a clipboard sat next to the keyboard. She then looked up to Ulrich with a bright smile, showing her white, clean teeth. Her hair was red and her eyes were hazel brown.

"Good morning Mr. Stern, nice to have you back." the woman said. "How are you this fine morning?"

"I'm doing good, thanks." Ulrich replied. "Where can I find the Science Fair that's going on right about now?"

"You can find it in the gymnasium." she told Ulrich.

"Thanks Gretchen." Ulrich replied with a smile on his face.

"You're welcome Mr. Stern." Gretchen said in reply. Ulrich then left the main building to find his way to the gymnasium, which wasn't hard, since it was almost right across from the main building behind the one of the main classroom buildings. He found the gym and entered, then looking at the projects all being presented in the Science Fair to win the prize. The gym was full of kids and projects. Posters were presented well with colorful paper and lots of information about their topic, models were well built and very well kept, and the kids who presented them had a smile on their faces as the parents and staff who were looking at them were as happy as the kids presenting them. A teacher then walked up to Ulrich, who then shook his hand.

"Hey, Mr. Stern!" the young teacher said. "It's great to see you. How are you?"

"I'm great, actually." Ulrich told Mrs. Carter, the teacher of Ulrich's son, Michael. They know each other well and Mrs. Carter really takes a liking into the company of Ulrich's son, who was a straight up genius. "So, where's Michael's project?"

"His is right over there." Mrs. Carter pointed out. Ulrich then saw his son, with his messy hair, talking to the parents about his project, a poster about the workings of a helicopter and a jet. But, he didn't just have a poster. He had an example of a jet engine, which Jeremy made for him. Jeremy did favors for Ulrich's son without expecting anything in return. After all, Jeremy was still a genius. Ulrich walked up to his sons stand with a smile on his face, staying behind the crowd without Michael even noticing.

Michael was very smart and very kind, especially around other people. And, yes, that counts for girls, too. He was just like his father when his father was his age. Probably, Michael is exactly like his father. But, he just hopes that Michael does not go through the 'Lyoko Phase' in life, where he would have to live two lives, one in secret and the other one not, and would have to risk his life to save the world. But, the thought of that happening was kind of stretching it in Ulrich's mind. But, that didn't mean that it's not a possibility. But, Michael was a kid that parents would always treasure. Hell, all parents should treasure their sons and daughters, even if they have small or big problems. And, Ulrich loved his son and his two daughters very much.

"And now, let me show you a demonstration of my project." Michael said to the small crowd of parents and staff, who clapped happily as Michael flipped the tiny switch on the small model, then recreating the effect of a jet engine. The parents and staff was surprised. They were happy. Ulrich was happy. They clapped again as he turned it off, then bowing. The crowd then left, leaving only Ulrich to stand in front of his own son, looked up at his dad.

"Hey dad." he said with a wide smile.

"Hey Michael." Ulrich told Michael with a smile as well. "How are you doing?"

"Good daddy." he said, pleased to see his dad. Ulrich then crouched down onto one knee and looked at his son in the eyes with a smile still on his smooth face.

"How're your sisters doing?" he asked his young, cheerful son.

"They're doing great!" Michael replied with a huge smile.

"How's mommy?"

"Mommy's good also!" Michael said to Ulrich. "I love you daddy!" Michael rushed up to his father to hug him, with Ulrich hugging him back with his eyes closed.

"I love you too, buddy." Ulrich told his son, still hugging him. Then, as they continued to hug, his son asked him a difficult question that even he can't answer.

"Are you going to leave again, daddy?" Michael asked him. There was a brief pause as Ulrich closed his eyes and still hugged his son. He then cleared his throat.

"I hope not, Michael." Ulrich replied. "I hope not…" Ulrich then looked up at the poster board that he made and then at the jet engine replica that looked like Jeremy helped him with it.

"Is this your project, Michael?" Ulrich asked, standing up with his son at his side, holding his hand.

"Yes, daddy." Michael replied. "Mr. Belpois helped with the replica of the engine."

"Jeremy?" Ulrich asked, his son shaking his head yes in reply. "Well, that's nice of him." And, as he stared at the project, a hand placed itself on Ulrich's right shoulder. Ulrich turned around and looked at an old friend behind him. His clean, blonde hair remained the same after all of these years as best friends and his glasses were cleaner than usual. His blue button-up polo shirt with rolled up sleeves was well tailored and washed. His baggy brown cargos were wrinkle-free and his grey sneakers looked the same as they did back then.

"Well, you know, I would do anything for an old friend." Jeremy said, smiling.

"Hey, Jeremy!" Ulrich said, shaking hands with him. "How have you been?"

"Same old." Jeremy replied. "Being a genius as always."

"How's the wife?" Ulrich asked, curious.

"Aelita?" Jeremy said. "Well, we're doing pretty well, as always. The kids are doing fabulous and work is calm."

"That's good to hear, Einstein." Ulrich told Jeremy. Jeremy then leaned to Michael with a smile.

"Hey, Michael, how's it going?" Jeremy asked Ulrich's son.

"I'm doing good, Jeremy." Michael replied in a friendly tone of voice.

"How's the project going?"

"Very good." Michael replied.

"Picking up the chicks yet?" Jeremy asked the kid.

"Jeremy!" Ulrich said. "Don't give him ideas! That's my job."

"I know." Jeremy said in reply to Ulrich. "I'm just checking on his overall status on his way to Manville."

"Well, leave it to me." Ulrich said. "Besides, me and you have two totally different views of what Manville is."

"Ha ha, very funny." Jeremy replied with a sarcastic tone.

"How's Odd and William?" Ulrich asked.

"Their doing fine." Jeremy replied. "Odd's trying to write some music while he's trying to make a living in music while owning his own little coffee shop and William staying home, taking care of his kids while his wife is working."

"Well, it's good to be around friends that you have had for so long, you know." Ulrich stated.

"Yeah, it is good." Jeremy agreed. "Especially when you almost died together back then."

"I have to admit, those were some good times." Ulrich added on.

"Amen to that, brother." Jeremy also agreed. "Amen to that."


	7. Chapter 6 Part 7

Chapter 6: Something Fishy

Undisclosed Location, Afghanistan- Middle East

Commander Richard Foxx- US Intelligence

2015

It has been a full day or so of surveillance over the fort in the mountains north of Kabul. Satellite images and intelligence data did not catch anything after 28 hours. Nothing even happened between yesterday and today. It was, as though, the trucks that drove up to the fort, have disappeared inside. Satellite images have picked up some fighters walking around the perimeter, but nothing out of the ordinary. Commander Richard Foxx ordered the operators inside the Intelligence Room and the Main Room to observe the fort and scan for movement and/or odd routes that the fighters take when doing their own patrols. Nothing ever showed up.

Richard was left at his desk, his bloodshot eyes staring at his computer screen. His right hand was holding the computer mouse with a gentle grip. What he was staring at was a picture of his family back home, in Richmond, Virginia. His wife, Rebecca, was a beautiful woman, with long, shiny, black hair and a bright smile. Being married for almost 18 years, she knows what it's like to have him leave for a while. Rebecca was strong in heart and very intelligent, especially when it comes to history. His brother, Bill, stayed with them, since he lost his job in the Army as engineer after a car bomb almost killed him. He lost his right leg that day. And, Richard helped him out and had let him stay with him and the family. Bill was also smart, but was a little bit light hearted. He loved being a kid sometimes, which took him back when the times were different back then, when things felt so good to be alive.

And, then there was Richard's daughter, Alisa. He was so proud to have a daughter like her, especially when she has all A's in her classes. Richard always loved to take her on a walk in the park, along with his brother and his wife. Anna has always surprised Richard and has always been the child that a father always wanted. She was Heaven on Earth when it came to having fun. Richard just wishes that being deployed doesn't get in the way of it.

And, then there was himself, Richard Foxx, now a commander of a US Intelligence base in the middle of the Afghan desert. Richard served his country for 19 years and he is still adding onto that record of service. Back then, after college, he joined the military, becoming an officer in the Army. When he was deployed in 2001, he lent a hand in Operation Anaconda and so much more. He helped in operations and in front line duty and even helped with air missions to attack specific targets. He married Rebecca in 1998 and gave birth to Anna in 2008. Ever since then, life has been up and down, with being deployed and all. However, he did not give up on them. Not even the slightest.

As he continued to stare at the picture on his computer screen, an intelligence operator entered Richard's office, his eyes also bloodshot.

"Commander, you might wanna take a look at this." The officer said. Richard kept the picture on screen and stood up from the chair and stretched. He then followed the officer out into the Intelligence Room and to his station, where it showed the entire Pacific area. A satellite looked over the Philippines, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Vietnam and Korea. The operator sat down and zoomed in on the Philippines. He then looked back to see Richard looking over his shoulder.

"Sir, we've just picked up suspicious activity going on in Manila." The operator said.

"Manila?" Richard asked.

"Yes, sir." The operator replied.

"When did you pick it up?"

"Just now, sir." The operator answered. "However, almost an hour ago, there was a small blip in Manila."

"A blip?" Richard asked.

"Yes, sir. The blip only beeped once and only once." The operator explained and answered. Richard cleared his throat and scratched his head, still staring at the screen.

"So, what is the suspicious activity?"

"We picked up something similar to what we saw in Afghanistan." The operator answered. "Well, except, they are using white and black pick-up trucks to move whatever they're moving."

"Do you satellite photos of the area?"

"We do, sir." The operator said. "Sending to your computer now."

"Thank you." Richard said, walking away from the operator and his station and heading into his office. He stood next to his office chair and then leaned over to his computer, then opening the satellite images that the operator had sent him. The images mimicked that of what he saw in the photos taken over Afghanistan, except for different vehicles and the city environment. He then looked at his phone that was next to the computer mouse. The touch screen phone was turned off.

"I hope you're still there, Mik." Richard said to himself, reaching for his phone and picking it up. He then dialed a number and waited for whoever was on the other end to pick up. "I need you on this." Then, the phone stopped ringing.

"Wolf?" a young woman's voice asked over the phone.

"Mik, this is Wolf." Foxx said into the phone. "You still in Manila?"

"Yeah, why?" the woman asked in reply.

"We might have a problem." Richard said into the phone in reply to Mik.

"Yeah, I know." Mik replied. "We're keeping a close eye on things."

"Good." Richard said, sitting down on his office chair. "Now, I want you to find out who is carrying out that delivery of some sort. And, if you can, get some accurate snap shots of them taking the stuff out from the back of the trucks."

"You got it, Wolf." Mik replied.

"And, remember though, I want some good snap shots and answers." Richard reminded Mik. Mik then sighed.

"Alright, what's going on over there?"

"We've picked up the same kind of activity here in Afghanistan." Richard answered. "Mysterious lookin' trucks were headed to a fort in the mountains north of Kabul and never came back out. I'm thinking that they're hiding something and I think they're hiding something there in Manila as well."

"Well, whatever they're shipping, I promise, it's not gonna be a secret anymore." Mik promised.

"Alright then." Richard replied. "Be careful. And, if you get back, maybe me, you, and the other guys can grab a beer or somethin'."

"It's a date." Mik said.

"Good." Richard said in reply. "Call me when it's done." Richard then hung up the phone and then closed the satellite photos, then looking at the family photo that he hid in the task bar. Then, he looked back at his phone and sighed, leaning back in his chair.


	8. Chapter 7 Part 8

Chapter 7: The Trucks

Manila, Philippines

Mikaela "Mik" Hurst- OGA

Midnight- 2015

"Do you think ASG has something to do with this?" a man asked as Mikaela looked through her set of binoculars through the window shield. Up ahead of them, at the t-intersection, was a parked white pick-up truck with the back covered in a grey sheet. The driver and the passenger were still in the truck, the driver talking on his cell phone while the passenger looked like he was dozing off. It was raining outside, the rain drops dropping onto the car and all over the city, the rain making light thumping noises as it hit the windshield and the car. Mikaela then looked at her partner, Salvatore Lopez.

"I don't think the Abu Sayyaf Group has anything to do with this, Salvatore." Mikaela said, then placing the binoculars in front of her eyes, looking out at the white pick up truck. Mikaela's long hair was as black as the night and her near tan skin looked like she went to the beach and tanned herself recently. Her eyes were chocolate brown and her skin was silky smooth.

"Well, I'm just guessing." Salvatore said, streaking his five o'clock shadow. "After all, no matter who they are, they're gonna get their asses whooped."

"Hey, idiot, I can hear you through the radio." a voice joked over Salvatore's radio.

"Why did you call me a idiot?" Salvatore asked the man through the radio.

"Well, because, I like messing with you." Salvatore turned off his radio and then nodded no to Mikaela, who smiled as she stared at the truck.

"Well played, asshole." Mikaela said to Salvatore. Salvatore then turned his radio back on and licked his lips.

"We still have eyes on the target." Salvatore informed over the radio. "How long before the convoy joins up with this truck, Will?"

"ETA three minutes." Will replied. "So, prepare to stealthily stalk these guys."

"Oh, wait, wait." Mikaela said, zooming in on a dark, shadowed figure. "Who the hell is this guy?" The shadow looked like he was armed with a handgun as we walked slowly to the pulled over truck. He then leaned up against the white pick up truck and waved his pistol around, then pointing it at the driver, who then started to yell at the man in Arabic.

"Arabic?" Salvatore asked. "What the hell is this?"

"I don't know, but…" A gunshot then interrupted Mikaela, the gunshot echoing through the streets. The sound of glass shattering followed as another gunshot also followed, the figure then tossing out the driver and stepping into the truck.

"Holy crap!" Salvatore shouted as he looked at Mikaela, surprised. The truck then sped off into the street to their left. "Time to step on the gas, Mik!" Mikaela tossed aside the pair of black binoculars and then buckled up, then smashing her foot on the gas pedal. The car's tires screamed as the engine roared. The car then launched itself and started to speed down the street towards the t-intersection. Mikaeal turned the wheel and steered the car around the corner.

"Salvatore? Mik? What the hell just happened?" Will asked over the radio.

"The driver just got capped and the truck's going down the street with the shooter freakin' driving it!" Salvatore informed Will.

"Well, I hope you know what you guys are doing."

"Don't worry." Salvatore replied. "We're on him." The truck's red rear lights were faint as the Mercedes trailed in behind, the headlights illuminating the darkness as the car roared through the rainy, dark night. The truck then made a right turn at the intersection ahead, the tires screeching as it almost hit a bench on the sidewalk.

"Right, Mik, right!" Salvatore said, pointing ahead at the turn. Mik turned the wheel, the car screeching around the right turn. The car then continued to speed straight behind the white pick up truck.

"Alright, we have him." Salvatore said to Mik. "Just keep drivin'."

"That's what I'm planning to do." Mik replied. Then, Will spoke through Salvatore's radio.

"Salvatore, Mik, don't lose that truck." Will said.

"We won't." Salvatore assured. "Do you have eyes on the convoy?"

"Affirmative. They heading towards their rendezvous point now." Will answered, Mikaela still driving the car after the truck, speeding through the raining, dark night. The truck continued to speed down the street as they were approaching a four way intersection with light traffic ahead. The light ahead turned red.

"Of course there would be a four way intersection up ahead." Salvatore said as Mik continued to drive after the truck. "Why don't we just shoot him already?"

"Because, we need some intel on what is inside these trucks." Will replied to Salvatore. "Remember what Wolf told us to do."

"I know what he said." Salvatore said in reply. The two vehicles approached the four way intersection, the truck the switching onto the oncoming side of the road.

"You got to be freaking kidding me!" Mikaela said, then steering onto the oncoming traffic side. Mikaela dodged several oncoming cars as the lights for both sides of the road turned green, the truck doing the same, avoiding the oncoming cars. The truck then steered onto the other side of the road, with Mikaela following in behind as they left the four way intersection.

"Mik, Salvatore, be advised, this guy is not with ASG." Will informed the others.

"How can you tell?" Salvatore asked.

"The convey you were supposed to chase is ASG." Will replied.

"Then, who is this guy with?" Mikaela asked Will.

"I have NO clue." Will said. "Just chase this punk down and catch him to see what he knows."

"Understood." Mikaela said, still chasing the white pick up truck. Up ahead, as another road, another t-intersection. As the white pick up truck approached and turned, it lost control and skid across the street, then smashing into the walls of a building. Mik stopped the Mercedes a good distance away from the pick up truck and stepped out with Salvatore into the rain, taking their pistols with them. Both were clad in Kevlar vest and neck wraps and watched the driver fall from the driver seat and began to run down the sidewalk.

"Stop!" Mikaela yelled, chasing the man with Salvatore behind her. "OGA!" As they turned after him, the truck somehow exploded, sending bits of metal and glass flying everywhere throughout the street. The explosion sounded like loud, explosive thunder, rocking the ground. Windows on the building that was next to the truck were blown apart and the street lamp next to it was knocked down. Mikaela and Salvatore looked at the truck as the driver turned back and looked at the blazing fire and then at Mik and Salvatore. The man's face was scared and he was wearing a pair of sunglasses and covered half his face with a bandana wrap. His black hooded jacket was wet and slightly ripped and his blue jeans was ripped. The man's black hair was messy and dark. He stared at the two and then turned to run. Mik and Salvatore then followed in pursuit.

"Mik, what the hell just happened back there?" Salvatore asked.

"I don't." Mik said in reply, running in front of Salvatore. "But, that shouldn't be our focus right now." The man then kicked in a door into one of the apartment buildings along the street.

"C'mon, he went inside." Mikaela said, rushing into the building, chasing the man up the stairs with Salvatore in behind. The loud footsteps echoed through the stairwell as the three of them ran up the stairs. The man then busted into the tenth floor door, with Mik and Salvatore behind them.

"Stop!" Mik yelled as she ran after the man down the stairs. "Stop right now!" The man then busted into one of the rooms in the tenth floor, then running into one of the windows and jumping onto a fire escape outside in an alley. Mik and Salvatore entered the room, only to find a Filipino couple that had just woken up, shouting at both of them in Tagalog. Mik and Salvatore then found the window the man used to get onto the fire escape. Mik peered out from the window and saw the man running down the alley.

"C'mon, down the fire escape!" Mik said, running down the fire escape as Salvatore leaped onto it. Mikaeal then leaped on top of a dumpster and rolled onto the ground, then lifted herself up and started to chase the man down the street with Salvatore still behind.

"Stop!" Mik warned the man, aiming her Glock at him. The man whipped out a revolver and turned to shoot at Mik, cocking the lever of the pistol. Mik then stopped in her tracks and looked at the man through his sunglasses.

"Hassan!" the man yelled out, about to pull the trigger on his revolver. Then, as Mik was about to pull the trigger on her Glock, Salvatore came from behind her and unloaded his clip into him, 9mm bullet shells falling onto the sidewalk. The bullets riddled the man with holes, blood raining down from his wounds onto the sidewalk, the blood flowing like a crimson red river. His sunglasses flew off before he hit the ground and his gun dropped from his right hand. Salvatore ejected the empty clip from his Glock and lowered the gun, then approaching the dead body with Mik. Mik kneeled down at the body and pulled down the wrapped bandana from the face.

The man had a goat-t and his lips were severely chapped. Blood ran from his lips as his mouth was full of it. His teeth were once white, but now, they were blood red. Mikaela holstered her pistol.

"Dammit." Mik cursed. "Thanks for having my back that time."

"You're very welcome, Mik." Salvatore said with a light smile.

"I'm not sure how Wolf is going to take this." Mik said to Salvatore.

"I just hope he understands what happened here." Salvatore replied to Mik. Will then radioed Salvatore.

"Guys, did you stop him?" Will asked over the radio.

"He's dead." Mik replied. "He whipped out a pistol and almost shot me. But, Salvatore riddled him with holes and put him down."

"Dammit…" There was a brief silence. Then, Will radioed back. "Check to see if he has a cell phone." Mik then approached the body and then took the man's cell phone.

"He has a cell." Mik said.

"Good." Will replied. "I think we can find some answers to what just happened here tonight. Disappear quickly and get back here to the hotel now. The cops are going to show up any minute and I don't want you guys to get arrested."

"Alright." Salvatore said, hanging up the radio. "Let's get back to the Mercedes."

"Alright, let's go." Mik agreed. "But, YOU'RE driving."

"Ah man…" Salvatore complained, then sighed as they rushed down the street, police sirens getting louder in the distance.


	9. Chapter 8 Part 7

Chapter 8: Unexpected Results

Undisclosed Location- Afghanistan

Commander Richard Foxx

2015

"What do you mean by 'something happened'?" Richard asked on the phone as he walked around his desk, looking at the floor. The desk itself was in bad shape, as the desk was littered with piles of documents and vanilla folders containing photos and more documents, stamped with the 'top secret' seal. His personal silver pen was perched behind his left ear as he talked on the phone with Will after their operation.

"What I mean by that, is that someone jacked one of the ASG's trucks and then drove off with it." Will answered.

"Did you stop him?" Richard asked Will, who took a few seconds of silence after.

"Define stop." Will said. Richard sighed with slight irritation.

"Will, c'mon now." Richard said.

"The car jacker pulled out a pistol and tried to shoot one of our agents in the field." Will explained. "Fortunately, another one of our agents unloaded on him."

"Did you get anything off of him?" Richard asked Will.

"Yeah, we got his cell phone." Will answered in reply. "We're already looking at it for anything we can use."

"Alright, just send me what you can and make sure that the ASG doesn't point fingers at us." Richard told Will.

"You got it, boss." Will agreed. Richard hung up and placed his cell on his desk next to the computer mouse and then looked at a board on the wall that was covered with photos and documents from older missions and past events. He then stared at his desk and then the clock above the board on the wall. He then sat down in his chair, then spinning it towards the computer and staring at the screen, which displayed a photo taken from a UAV above the fort recently.

The photo showed the same things as recent photos and recordings. Fighters were doing patrols and nothing moved out of the fort. Not even a small car. They have been observing the fort for quiet some time and they still have nothing. But, Richard knows something is going on. His cell phone then rang. Richard picked up his cell and answered the call.

"Hello?" Richard asked the caller.

"Richard, anything yet?" the caller asked.

"No, sir." Richard replied. "We've been looking at the fort for some time and nothing yet."

"What do you think they're doing up there?" the caller asked Richard, who stood up and walked out of his office to overlook the operators in the Main Room. The operators were all still working, with hot, fresh coffee beside their stations to keep them up and working. Their eyes were glued to the screens and to the photos and recently recorded footage. They had clipboards ready with paper and pens and always kept them close to write down anything heard or to write down coordinates. Richard cleared his throat.

"I don't know." Richard answered. "But, it must be something secret."

"You don't say?" the caller said with sarcasm. "Listen, we need to know what's going on up there."

"I know, sir." Richard agreed. "However, I don't what we can do to find out what they're doing up there."

"You need to think about it and fast." The caller suggested. "You never know what kind of work they're doing up there."

"Just give me some time, sir." Richard pleaded to the caller. "I need to think about this before we go and send soldiers. It might be too risky." The caller sighed softly.

"Alright, Richard, I'll give you some time." The caller finally agreed. "Risking the lives of soldiers is unnecessary and I'd rather see what's up there rather than seeing what's up there and body bags lined up in a long row that belong to us."

"Thank you, sir." Richard said in relief. "I'll think of something. I promise you that."

"Well, I hope you can keep promises." The caller joked.

"Don't worry, sir." Richard said in reply. "I tend to keep promises."

"I hope so." He said. "Good luck."

"Thank you, sir." Richard said. "Foxx out." He hung up his phone and walked back into his office, then sitting back down onto his chair, looking at the screen and minimizing the documents and photos. As he stared at his background picture, a picture of him and his wife at their marriage. His small smile reflected itself on the computer screen as he stared at he and his wife, with him carrying her across the green field of grass and flowers.


End file.
